[rick-in-seattle]

I ran across this story while reading old posts.



The Woodchip

To date, I calculate I have produced approximately 1,738,893 wood chips; conservatively. My estimate may be quite conservative considering the two years I spent carving Totem poles.

After a while one chip looks pretty much like the last one and the one before that. Sure there are big chips and teeny-weeny chips and every size in between. Yet, when they are all swept up into a pile, I have to admit I couldn’t tell you which chip came from what part of the carving.

Once in a while I may find a stray woodchip and wonder which carving it came from; and how it got into my underwear. But most of the time I really don’t give it much thought anymore.
Years of whittling have worn the edges off the excitement of seeing a new chip being born.

You may think I am talking foolishness; where is the glory in making a woodchip?

In truth, I hadn’t given it much thought for many, many years; I have been focused on the carvings, not the chips that were falling.

Then a strange and wonderful thing happened; my five year old granddaughter asked if she could carve with me. Of course, I couldn’t refuse her; so holding her tiny hand in mine we pushed the gouge through the wood. I didn’t even see it coming; a little ember somewhere deep inside me burst into flames again.

There it was; smooth and shiny, curled and cracked; my grandaughter's first chip. Her excitement was unrestrained as she picked it up and ran through the house showing her Mom, Dad, and Grandma.

I sat there; looking down at my chips on the floor.

[jillsy]

You always have great stories!

[Hisart]

Excellent!

[Marci MN]

Ya know Rick, your responsible for my very first wood chip. I opened up that box and looked at those odd shaped tools and held them for the first time. I grabbed a piece of wood and used the U shaped tool. It was so easy... and sooooo sharp. I was actually scared to use them for a few days. Kinda wished I would have saved that long curled chip and put a date with it. *sigh*

[Thomp]

Funny how little things slip away in our busy, hurried day,
but If we stopped and looked at things as a child full of wonderment the world would eat us alive, but some times its just good to stop and smell the roses,

i, now as a grandfather of two 2 year olds am amazed at the kids and what they find to play with, they got all the latest educational toys, would rather the boxes....
grand daughter is tickled to play with sticky price tags, calls them stickers,

grand son loves to tease and disturb ants with a stick, calls them bugs, then sturrs again. he has had his seat warmed many times by his mother for playing in the mounds of fireants, but still if one gets on him its all that it takes for him to come running bite me, bite me.

[rick-in-seattle]

Marci,
That first chip is special, no doubt about it.

My greatest pleasure in wood carving is helping others make their first.

[Dylan]

Great story Rick. If we could only capture all of our milestones and landmarks; sigh.

Dylan

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Rick, you should enter Harry Haroun's poetry contest!

[squbrigg]

[quote=rick-in-seattle]There it was; smooth and shiny, curled and cracked; my grandaughter's first chip. Her excitement was unrestrained as she picked it up and ran through the house showing her Mom, Dad, and Grandma. [quote]

Nothing like that first chip made by a son, daughter, granddaughter, or grandson! Thanks Rick, for reminding me of my own best moments with my kids.

Bob

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

hummm thats not fair! my first chip wasn't all curled and shiny!! I was chip carving and it was just a little tri corner!